


Sail Away

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post Bartlett Administration, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-26
Updated: 2005-03-26
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: After the close of the Bartlet administration, from Sam's POV.





	Sail Away

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Sail Away**

**by: Francesca**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Sam  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** I don’t own the characters (I wish) but am just borrowing them for a while. The lyrics for ‘Sail away’ are by David Grey.   
**Summary:** After the close of the Bartlet administration, from Sam’s POV.  
**Author's Note:** Thanks and Kudos as always to Karen, without whom you wouldn’t be reading this now. And also because she wrote a companion piece to this which just blows me away – the Lady sure can bring the C.J. 

I sit on the deck of the boat; my dinner jacket slung over one shoulder and watch the sun rise across the Potomac. I've not been back from the ‘Last Night’ party long, but I can't sleep so I’m not even going to bother to try. I’ve been waiting for this time to come and now after six years of waiting it's here and I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been in my life. 

I can remember how it had happened, I’d lost in California and she’d flown to be with me. I’d known she couldn’t come before and how much it had frustrated her that she couldn’t. I hadn’t had the words to explain to her that it had meant so much she’d come at all, so I’d shown her in every way I could. 

And later as we lay facing each other in the half light, the sheets twisted around us, I’d gently traced the side of her face with my hand and watched her smile at me. 

“CJ” I said softly. 

“Hmmm” 

“I want to ask you something” go on Seaborn you may never get another chance. 

“I don’t work for the White House anymore”. 

She went to speak and I laid a finger against her lips. She closed her mouth. 

“Will’s got my old job, he fits into the team. So I know I can’t come back. And I know we can’t go public yet because we’re not really supposed to be doing this. And as long as you’re still at the White House there’d be a conflict of interest what ever I did. No one would ever believe we didn’t discuss things”. 

Her eyes are serious now, she’s wondering where this is going. What I may ask her to sacrifice, me or the job she loves. 

“I want to wait for you”. 

Her eyes widen in surprise. What ever she was expecting it wasn’t that. 

“Sam it’s four years!” she exclaims. 

“You think I won’t feel like this about you in four years?” Oh Claudia Jean if you think that you really don’t understand do you. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I put my portfolio and investments in trust after we got the Democratic nomination, the first one, I knew then we’d win. Occasionally I get statements and I’ve got more than enough to buy a bigger boat, do some sailing. Go work for the Peace Corps’ or just figure out what I want to do next. And what I want to do is wait for you. 

And when you finally leave the White House, I’ll be waiting for you, with open arms. And then” go on, you’ve got this far, don’t back out now. 

” Claudia Jean would you marry me?” 

She wasn’t expecting that, it shows in her face. She still doesn’t know how special she is, how beautiful. The President once described her as being like a 50’s movie star and he didn’t even come close to scratching the surface. 

“Sam, what happens if things change?” she asks me, her eyes searching my face. I want to kiss her so badly but this needs to be said, I need to put my cards on the table before I start thinking how she deserves better. For years I’ve made my living from my words, from convincing people of my arguments and it’s never been as important as it is now that I say this right, that I convince her I’m serious when I tell her there’s no one else but her for me. 

“If you meet someone else, it’ll hurt. It will hurt like hell, but I’ll live with it” I’ll have to. “We could meet up when the President doesn’t need you. I don’t care where you go; where you are I’ll travel to the four corners of the earth when you pick up that ‘phone. I’ll be discrete I promise. I can’t lose you C J, I love you too much”. I wrap my arms around her and draw her close, and stroke her hair. The thought of being without her now is terrifying. 

“That wasn’t what I meant Sam”. She kisses me gently. “But if you’re sure, really sure. Four years is a long time”. 

I smile at her, relieved, she didn’t say no. Thank the Lord she didn’t say no. “I’ll be here”. 

I stroke her hair and am thankful she is beside me for tonight at least. 

******************************* 

Present Day: 

I lean on the railing and let the morning breeze ruffle my hair. For four years I’ve waited. I’ve caught glimpses of her on TV as I’ve sat in bars alone, as I’ve passed the storefronts and sat in hotel rooms. I’ve travelled to her side, she’s come to the cabin I built by Big Sur. We’ve snatched time wherever and when ever we could, a stolen moment here and there. An email to say she’ll be in such and such a city on such and such a date and I’d rework my schedule and email her the details of my room in the nearest hotel. We’ve spent so much time on the phone I’m sure I should own the phone company by now. 

We’ve never told anyone, though I’m sure the Bartlet’s know. The President would always invite me up to Camp David and I’d end up in the closest cabin to hers. I’ve been brought into the White House for Thanksgiving by the Secret Service tunnel for the last four years, under the radar and away from the Press; they never even figured I was in town. I’m pretty sure Josh and Donna have worked it out too but again it’s not like I can never ask. 

She looked so lovely last night, and she danced with me. She’d danced with the others too and I’d tried so hard not to show how much I’d wanted to cut in. We’d sat around and traded stories, memories and hopes for the future, Jed & Abbey, Charlie & Zoey, Toby & Andy, Will & Ainsley and me and C J. I’d gone out into the rose garden and after a while heard the rustle of her dress. 

“Sam?” 

I turned to her then and dropped to one knee “Claudia Jean Cregg. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?” 

She’d looked at me, eyes slightly wide, despite everything, despite the last four years I don’t think she truly realised how serious I am, how much I love her. As she stands there silent, I want to give her time; my Lady hates to be rushed. “Don’t give me an answer tonight” I tell her, though the waiting may kill me, “the boats moored…; well you know where it is. If you accept come before Friday.” She’d reached out gently and smoothed the hair from out of my eyes, and I’d held her hand for a moment. And we stood surrounded by the scent of roses before turning and going back to the party. And I knew I would never be 100% sure if I saw the curtains twitch close as we returned. 

And C J had done ‘the Jackal’. I didn’t know if it had been for me, but she was on fire, and part of me hopes it was. 

And now all I can do is wait, wait for her to make her choice. I’ve never thought beyond this moment, in the four years that have passed, I’d known I had no plan for if she said no. Would I respect her wishes or wage an all out campaign for her heart? I don’t know all I can do is hope I never have to find out. 

A noise behind me makes me turn, brings me back to the here and now, out of my day dreams and back to reality. 

C.J. 

She walks down the jetty still wearing the evening gown she’d worn to the party and I seem to have forgotten how to breathe. What I could hear was the noise of her high heels, and as I look she stops and slips them off. 

I watch as she walks towards me, her shoes in one hand. She reaches the end of the jetty and looks up at me. 

Oh God C J what are you going to say 

“I hear you’re looking for a first mate” she says. 

I jump from the boat to the dock and stand in front of her, not touching, not yet. I don’t dare, I don’t ask her do you mean what I think you mean? The way she’s looking at me I wonder if my eyes are telling her what I’m thinking. 

I search her face and I realise she’s scared, I’m glad I’m not the only one, but until I know what she’s going to say I can’t move. 

We look into each other’s eyes for a moment. 

“Yes” she says quietly. ”Yes Sam, I will marry you”. 

I think I remember yelling, I’m fairly sure I yelled. I remember picking her up and swinging her round and kissing her soundly. I remember her dropping her shoes in the process, and I remember what we said to each other as we embraced on the end of the jetty. 

I looked at her, “Did you get a cab?” 

She smiled, “I got a lift with a friend”. I look back up the jetty and they’re there, all of them Jed, Abbey, Charlie, Zoey, Josh and Donna, Toby and Leo. And I can’t help it; I’m smiling so hard, still holding her in my arms as I shout “SHE SAID YES!” 

Sail Away 

Sail away with me honey  
I put my heart in your hands  
Sail away with me honey now, now, now  
Sail away with me  
What will be will be  
I wanna hold you now 

Crazy skies all wild above me now  
Winter howling at my face  
And everything I held so dear  
Disappeared without a trace  
Oh all the times I've tasted love  
Never knew quite what I had  
Little Darling if you hear me now  
Never needed you so bad  
Spinning round inside my head 

Sail away with me honey  
I put my heart in your hands  
Sail away with me honey now, now, now  
Sail away with me  
What will be will be  
I wanna hold you now 

I’ve been talking drunken gibberish  
Falling in and out of bars  
Trying to find some explanation here  
For the way some people are  
How did it ever come so far? 

Sail away with me honey  
I put my heart in your hands  
Sail away with me honey now, now, now  
Sail away with me  
What will be will be  
I wanna hold you now  
Sail away with me honey  
I put my heart in your hands  
Sail away with me honey now, now, now  
Sail away with me  
What will be will be  
I wanna hold you now 


End file.
